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Study of Jainism
cleaning teeth), vi) sthitibhojana (taking food offered by the lay disciple, by using the palm only and by standing), vii) ēkabhukta (taking one meal a day). The five samitis are : i) iryd-samiti (restriction on movement), ii) bhaşa-samiti (restriction on speech), iii) eşand-samiti (taking pure and permissible food), iv) adananikṣepana-samiti (careful use movement of the necessary objects like kamandalu, a pot for use of water etc.,) and v) pratişıhapandsamiti (answering the nature calls in solitary places). The practice of vows and other injunctions has to be carefuly done by the ascetic without exception. The life of a monk is hard and rigorous in this sense. His object is to attain Mokşa, and for this purpose rigorous mortification of the body has to be practised. The practice of vows is threefold : in body, mind and speech.
The infraction of the practice of vows and other injunctions has also to be threefold : i) by one self, ii) by getting others to commit violation, and iii) by acquiescing in the act of violation.
A muni is not to cover himself with any type of clothes or decoration made of cotton, wool, bark of a tree or even grass. He is forbidden to take bath (asnana). He should sleep with care on one side where there is little possibility of injury to living being including the tiniest insects. He should not clean his teeth, nails and other parts of the body nor should he decorate himself in any way (adanta-dhavana). He should eat taking the food on the palm standing on a clean and purified place, and he should eat only once a day after midday. These are included in the twenty-eight basic mūlagunas of a Muni.“ Rigorous restrictions are imposed on an ascetic; which if imposed on the layman, it would not be possible for him to practise in conformity with his responsibility of household life.
The Dasavaikalika-sūtra gives description of the essential qualities required of an ascetic. One who is self-controlled, who is free from passion and is non-attached is a real Muni. He saves his soul and those of others. Such self-controlled persons go to heaven (deva-lõka), or are freed from the bonds of life according to the degree of destruction of Karma. One who goes to heaven is reborn and has to continue his struggle for the destruction of the remaining Karma ultimately to attain Mokşa.
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